Design and Technology

Design and Technology comprises two related strands:

Design and Technologies knowledge and understanding - the use, development and impact of technologies and design ideas across a range of technologies contexts. Students gain an understanding of the sociological context of the use, development and impact of technologies in peoples' lives and the technological context.

The societal context focuses on how people use and develop technologies taking into account social, economic, environmental, ethical, legal, aesthetic and functional factors and the impact of technologies on individuals; families; local, regional and global communities; the economy; food and fibre; and the environment - now and into the future.

The technological context provides a framework within which students can gain knowledge and understanding about technologies and design across a range of technologies contexts, focusing on the characteristics and properties of technologies and how they can be used to create innovative designed solutions.

Design and Technologies (and Digital) processes and production skills - the skills needed to create designed solutions. Students create design briefs and products focusing on

investigating and defining

generating and designing

producing and implementing

evaluating

collaborating and managing

Technologies, Design and Technologies (including Food and Fibre Technology) more specifically aims to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:

develop confidence as critical user of technologies and designers and producers of designed solutions

investigate, generate and critique innovative and ethical designed solutions for sustainable futures

use design and systems thinking to generate design ideas and communicate these to a range of audiences

produce designed solutions suitable for a range of technologies contexts by selecting and manipulating a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment creatively, competently and safely; and managing processes

evaluate processes and designed solutions and transfer knowledge and skills to new situations

understand the roles and responsibilities of people in design and technologies occupations and how they contribute to society.